1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming system configured by an image reading apparatus and a printing apparatus as well as an image forming method using the image forming system, and more particularly to an image forming system which makes it possible to produce a print output of information in the image reading apparatus which does not hold font information as well as an image forming method using the image forming system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an image reading apparatus represented by a scanner, processing is performed for forming image data by effecting the reading of a document, so that font data for generating character data are generally not installed. In contrast, in a printing apparatus such as a printer, a plurality of font data are installed to output character strings contained in image data in a font designated by a PDL (page description language) when the printer prints out image data described in a corresponding PDL.
Various types of font data are held in the printer so that character strings of image data whose print request has been made can be printed out accurately. By using these font data, the printer is able to produce list outputs of printer information set in the printer and network information of the printer, and a report output of such as a job history in the printer.
Various information concerning the scanner cannot be printed out since the scanner does not hold font information. In a case where the various information is to be confirmed, the confirmation is normally made by causing a display device of the scanner to display to that effect.
A technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-117739 is known as a conventional technique in which, in a case where an arbitrary printer is to be used among a plurality of printers in a network environment in which the plurality of printers are connected through a network, a screen font corresponding to a printer font is retrieved from a font file stored in advance in a server. If the screen font is not available, font metrix information is acquired from the printer, or font metrix information is generated within the server, and the metrix information is sent to a client PC, so as to make effective use of the printer fonts.
However, with the conventional technique disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-117739, although printer fonts can be effectively used in the environment in which various information processing apparatuses are connected, it is necessary to newly provide a server for managing the fonts, and there is a problem in that the cost involved in its use increases.